Verdi’s La Traviata
A Lesson in Respect: One Woman's Encounter with Power, Privilege, and Unwanted Advances in Opera
Internationally revered Hal Prince was directing Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West during my first San Francisco Opera season. While I was not assigned to his production, I spent every break from my own production assistant duties observing his rehearsals. As I shared in my recently published book, The Mentor’s Gift, watching Hal guide the artists to create intriguing, complex characters, develop believable relationships, and carry the drama forward in a propulsive, exciting manner was an invaluable lesson for me, an impressionable, burgeoning director.
Interestingly, on my third visit to the set, Plácido Domingo sauntered over to ask why I was observing the rehearsals. I shyly explained that I was preparing to direct my own production of Verdi’s La Traviata and was eager to learn everything I could by observing Hal. Domingo offered to help me with La Traviata, and I was utterly stunned. Just 40 years old, opera aficionados considered Domingo the best Alfredo of that era, if not of all time. I eagerly accepted his offer, and he suggested meeting for dinner after rehearsal the next day.
By this point, Domingo was well known for philandering, and I should have been more perceptive. Ever career-focused, I completely missed the first signal. Ladies, I cannot underscore strongly enough the challenge we face: many men fail to treat women with respect. They use their status to overpower or intimidate and seduce through a panoply of compliments.
As I drove to the restaurant Domingo suggested, my mind raced with questions I wanted to ask. Pulling into the parking lot, it hit me—the restaurant was connected to the Fairmont, the hotel where Domingo was staying. I vowed to keep the evening focused on La Traviata. As I suspected, the conversation began to gently shift from opera to more personal topics after the appetizer course. I graciously yet firmly declined, indicating that I was seriously involved with my boyfriend, Carl, and was committed, refusing to stray. Gradually, I steered the conversation back to La Traviata and received advice and directorial suggestions from the man who lived and breathed the role of Alfredo.
I had been extremely lucky. Since Domingo was only a guest artist at SFO, he held no power over me; he had no ability to ruin my career. That was not the case for everyone. Any woman who worked for him at Los Angeles Opera or Washington National Opera, where he served as artistic director, was at risk of losing her job or ruining her career if she refused his advances. Launched in 2006, the #MeToo movement brought many perpetrators and their actions to light. Yet, despite the movement, women are still plagued by these dynamics today. Be alert, be cautious, and uphold your commitment to yourself.
